| Who says is only limited to selling books? Today, | | | | and cell phones. However, you may have to |
| Amazon has joined the ranks of being one of the | | | | accustom yourself to flipping when you're using |
| major technological innovators. In fact, Sony's Reader | | | | Amazon's Kindle. Perhaps it's because it tries to truly |
| has found great competition from one of Amazon's | | | | imitate a person reading a book. You flip on the |
| newest products: the Kindle Reader. | | | | pages-you don't scroll. |
| Its name could have a much stronger impact, | | | | 4. Convergence doesn't exist. Why was the iPhone |
| considering that "kindle" means "enlightenment," or | | | | such a huge hit? More than its design, it attempts to |
| the birth of great ideas-and it is, if you'll learn to look | | | | merge two of the most important devices today: |
| past beyond its many flaws: | | | | phone and iPod. Convergence is the buzzword, |
| 1. Being connected has its pitfalls. The wireless | | | | considering that individuals love anything that will |
| connection of Kindle spells both boon and bane for | | | | make life much more convenient. Kindle doesn't seem |
| the product. It's good because you can basically carry | | | | to possess that, though. It becomes a more |
| your favorite books, blogs, and other whatever | | | | advanced ebook reader, with wireless connectivity on |
| reading material literally no matter where you go. The | | | | the side. |
| downside is its browser isn't really its main priority. | | | | 5. It can't read important file formats. There are |
| Rather, it gives so much emphasis on being a book | | | | certain formats that are only applicable to Kindle. |
| reader. Thus, don't be surprised if you're going to | | | | These include .txt and MP3 files. File formats such as |
| meet numerous error messages. The only consolation | | | | Word, HTML, and JPEG are unreadable. If you need |
| perhaps is the fact that you the images really don't | | | | to read an important Word file, you still have to send |
| appear so awful. | | | | the document to Amazon, who will later convert and |
| 2. It stopped looking good. It's surprising how critics | | | | send it to you. Even though this is free of charge, |
| never failed to mention Kindle's designs if they're | | | | definitely, you'll find the entire process taxing and |
| asked of its disadvantages. It seems like the | | | | totally time-consuming. To make matters worse, |
| designers behind the product have lost their touch in | | | | Amazon and Kindle doesn't support RTF documents |
| creativity. It appears bland and too plain. It doesn't | | | | when, in fact, it's a subset of Word document, which |
| make any better when pictures started showing | | | | is apparently supported by Kindle. |
| everywhere, depicting it as close to being ugly. In | | | | Despite the many "faults" of Amazon Kindle, it |
| reality, though, Kindle may not be equal to Apple in | | | | doesn't take away the fact that it's a revolutionary |
| the looks department, but it's still look like a cool | | | | gadget. It's so easy on the eye and comfortable to |
| gadget, at least at first glance. | | | | carry around. And besides, if you're truly a |
| 3. It's flip, not scroll. People are so used to scrolling, | | | | bookworm, wouldn't be building your own library and |
| no matter how tiring this routine can be. Think of PCs | | | | placing it in your bag more than enough? |